How to Play Singles Tennis

Singles tennis is great exercise, requires little equipment and money, and is a good way to get outdoors and have a lot of fun. Find a friend and some public courts and start playing!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Tennis Shirts
• Tennis Shoes
• Tennis Shorts
• Tennis Socks
• Sports Drinks
• Tennis Bag
• Tennis Balls
• Tennis Racquets

1. Find a partner, a racquet, two cans of balls and an open court.
2. Warm up by hitting easy ground strokes from the baseline.
3. Serve from behind the baseline, starting just to the right of the center hash mark. If you step over the line before you hit the ball it is called a 'foot fault.' The ball must clear the net and bounce inside the opposite service box to remain in play. You are allowed two serve attempts, and if you miss both it is called a 'double fault,' and the point goes to your opponent. If you serve and the ball hits the net but goes in, it is called a 'let,' and you are allowed to serve again without having a fault credited to you.
4. Rally with your partner until one of you hits the ball deep (beyond the baseline), wide (outside the inner white singles sidelines), into the net, or the ball bounces twice. If any of those things happen to you, you lose the point.
5. Score games as follows, with the person serving calling his or her score first: Love (0-0), 15-Love, 30-Love, 40-Love (game point), and then Game. If points are tied at 40-40, it is called Deuce. You must score two points in a row from Deuce to win the game. If you score one point, you say, 'My Advantage,' and if your partner scores the point from Deuce, the server says, 'Your Advantage.' After Deuce, if you win only one point and your partner wins the next you return to Deuce.
6. Keep track of your games until the first person wins six games, which means he or she won that 'set.' Play the best of three or best of five sets, which completes the 'match.' The first person to three or five sets wins the match.

Tips & Warnings

• Take a lesson to learn proper technique before you pick up bad habits that are difficult to change.
• Read a book on tennis to learn the rules, strategy and proper training techniques.
• warm up first